EATONVILLE, Fla. – The city vote to join the lawsuit over the Hungerford property failed Tuesday in Eatonville, says the city’s mayor.
The lawsuit, filed by the Southern Poverty Law center, alleges closed - door meetings led by the former mayor improperly determined the fate of the property.
The vote came as council members received an update on the future of the historic Hungerford Prep site, one of Central Florida’s first black schools.
Dr. Phillip’s Charities detailed plans for what could become a $15 million to $20 million dollar park project. During the discussion, council members raised concerns about where the funding will come from.
“But my question is still where is the money gonna come from?” Councilwoman Wanda Randolph asked.
Dr. Phillips Charities, now responsible for the site, told council the project is expected to move forward even if Tourist Development Tax (TDT) dollars don’t cover part of the cost.
“One of the questions always comes up is what happens if TDT doesn’t fund something? We fully intend to continue on with this process,” a representative says. “We have the capacity and the money to build the park as we’ve agreed to with Orange County Public Schools.”
The Tourist Development Tax — sometimes referred to in meetings as the Tourist Development Task Force — typically does not cover the full cost of a project.
“Whatever the tourism tax funds it won’t be 100 percent — no more than 70% of a cost of a project,” the representative says.
Even so, Dr. Phillips Charities says the town would not be required to pay for the project.The nonprofit says it is scheduled to close on the land on August 27.
Councilwoman Ladwyana Jordan asked whether Dr. Phillips Charities had any thoughts about the pending litigation and concerns about potential Sunshine Law violations.
“Have any thoughts regarding the pending litigation in terms of the violation of Sunshine Law,” Jordan asked.
Dr. Phillips Charities responded, referencing earlier litigation during the former mayor’s term.
“There was original litigation that was brought by Southern Poverty… and that was during Mayor Gardener’s term,” the representative says. “We thought that was a very appropriate litigation— that was a private developer coming in to change the makeup of the town completely.”
Council discussions are expected to continue as the closing date approaches and the legal challenge plays out.